I’m sitting alone writing this post. It’s 9pm and everyone has cleared out of the internet cafe to make their ways to the bars and clubs of nearby Waikiki. I do my best work alone, I can concentrate, there aren’t distractions, and I can choose my own music. My brain can relax and I can think clearly so my quiet hours are when I write the best, when I work the best, and when nobody can tell me what I can’t do.
I refer to these hours as my quiet hours because in a world of never ending noise, of commitments, and of constant go, these are literally the only hours there is no noise, no barrage of advertising, no outside information affecting my mind.
I don’t necessarily enjoy the quiet hours because I enjoy being alone, but because they are the ones in which my mind is clearest and I regain focus.
The quiet hours are the ones when nobody is home, everyone’s asleep or nobody is watching. They’re the hours in which it’s just you and your work, your muse, your hobby, your goals. They’re the hours when nobody is there to pat you on the back and tell you to keep going, they’re the hours you spend biking for endless hours, the hours you spend writing that novel, and the hours when you show yourself how bad you want it. These hours aren’t graded, they’re not shared with anyone else, and they only bring about inner satisfaction.
The quiet hours are the ones that nobody sees, the ones that create an overnight success in a matter of years, the ones that were spent after a day at work.
The quiet hours are the ones where you might turn on some music and totally envision the life that you want to lead. My quiet hours are spent writing to inspire others, working on achieving my awareness of the world I live in, and working on becoming who I want to be. Even if it never happens completely, the quiet hours are fun for me in working to make that happen.
Nobody pushes you along these quiet hours, but you, you’re the only one sitting here reading this post, you’re the only one who’s going to fulfill your dreams, and you’re the only one who cares enough to make it happen. In order to do so you’ll become quite familiar with the quiet hours.
The quiet hours are led by those who take action and who speak through those actions rather than words and as you may know, it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for 😉
How do you motivate yourself through the quiet hours?
When and where do you spend your quiet hours?
Your post reminded me so much of when I used to work at a job that I HATED. I used to leave for a longish break once a week during the middle of the day, sit in a coffee house by the beach and relax–it helped me survive the week without bursting into a human fireball.
Most of my ‘for fun’ activities these days involve something like the ‘quiet hours’ you describe.
My quiet hours are after my work, after dinner when I can squeeze in an hour or two. Most of the time I’m restless though and my cat adds to that…
You’re right about that: people can read about your ‘stresses’, but you’re the only one going through it in your head, in those quiet hours, night after night (or day after day).
.-= Moon Hussain´s last blog ..A Conversation That I Will Remember For the Rest of My Life =-.
Ryan,
I love my quite hours. They generally range from 3-7AM. With a 9 month old in the house its difficult to know when they will come, but I try and take full advantage of them when they do, either by meditating, reading a book, studying for classes, or writing blogs for the next week, or just relaxing. Its in these hours I find personal reflection and creativity peak.
Chris
.-= Chris Akins´s last blog ..The Power of Positive Language =-.
My quiet hours are in the early morning before I have to leave for work and while my husband is still sleeping. (I’m really not a morning person, but I’ve found that it’s a peaceful block of time) I’m able to focus on writing, reading, and commenting. Without this time, I go a little insane! I need those hours to regain my focus and I concentrate best when it is quiet.
This post helped me realize that I like my “quiet hours”. 🙂
.-= Little House´s last blog ..Tuesday Tips, Week 4 =-.
My whole daily structure has changed while doing my website. I’ve become a night owl, usually working until 6AM. I live alone, (well with 2 dogs), so I don’t have the daily distractions listed above. But I do have the daily distractions of sunlight, friends stopping by, phone ringing and shopping during their business hours. From midnight to 6AM everything is closed & most people are home asleep. Also, from midnight to 6AM I’m not tempted to call anyone or leave the house. That’s when I get my best work done. .-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..Why Use A Website… Read more »
I’m surprised things are so quiet at 9pm in Waikiki Ryan! Maybe it’s in the internet cafe b/c I often go down to the beach around 9pm and walk the peers and stuff. I guess things are relatively quiet compared to the day.
My quiet hours are 3am-5am once a month. How’s the Waikiki website going?
.-= Financial Samurai´s last blog ..Play Games To Save Money And Achieve Your Goals! =-.
true! Especially: “The quiet hours are the ones that nobody sees, the ones that create an overnight success in a matter of years.” I love that! No one sees the hard work that you put in, just the outcome, just the success.
.-= LenciB: Falling Into favor´s last blog ..Are You an Example or a Warning? =-.
I am still trying to find some quiet time where there are no distractions. I have found that my isolating headphones help dramatically…
Thanks for another thought provoking post…
-Justin
.-= Justin Matthews´s last blog ..I Won A Cruise! A Very Strange Dream… =-.
[…] #3. Ryan’s The Quiet Hours […]
Is that you in the picture?
.-= Noah Rainey´s last blog ..Your Niche Matters – “Blogging 101″ =-.
Hi Ryan,
My first time here. My quiet hours differ depending on what I need to do. However, the thing I do to keep myself going through those times is to break everything down into ‘bite-sized’ chunks. That way I can measure and feel the progress.
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..Struggling to grow? Do you need to re-invent your business? =-.
Hey Ryan,
I’ve been enjoying the quiet of my office for about 2 hours since my wife went to bed. Love the lack of interruptions for productivity’s sake.
What I do in these times is read my favorite blogs and work on my own, as well as plan my day.
.-= Guy G.´s last blog ..How to Save Money – Tips on Budgeting =-.
These days I often have a lot of time to myself, not only for working outside of being an employee, but for those reflections on what I feel is a future ambition.
That scenario in the cafe, when everything is quite does seem like a rather unique experience as a blogger, no?
.-= Aury (Thunderdrake)´s last blog ..The Hoarding Dragon – The difference between knowledge and experience =-.